Unregulated sperm donor Robert Albon supplied each pure or synthetic insemination and would have intercourse with “nearly anybody who asks” a Excessive Court docket decide has dominated
A sperm donor who claims to have fathered greater than 180 youngsters “lacks empathy” and “seeks to regulate others” to get his method, a Excessive Court docket decide has mentioned. Unregulated donor Robert Albon, who advertises his companies on social media below the title “Joe Donor”, claims to have fathered youngsters in international locations as far-off as Argentina and Australia.
The 54 12 months previous, initially from the USA, began appearing as an unregulated sperm donor in 2013 and got here to England in 2020. At a listening to in March, the household courtroom in Middlesbrough thought-about preparations for a woman, often called CA, born in early 2023, after her mom contacted him to be a donor.
At a listening to in March, the household courtroom in Middlesbrough thought-about preparations for a woman, often called CA, born in early 2023, after her mom contacted him to be a donor. The native authority within the case and the kid’s mom supported restricted oblique contact with Mr Albon, whereas he opposed the proposals and requested a decide to present him parental duty for the kid, in addition to both face-to-face contact or extra in depth oblique contact.
The courtroom additionally heard the case of a woman fathered by Mr Albon, who was born in 2022 and often called CB. The native authority requested for a care order with oblique contact after adoption or long-term fostering, whereas Mr Albon requested for her to be positioned in his care. However in a 51-page judgment revealed on Wednesday, Mr Justice Poole refused Mr Albon’s bids for elevated contact or placement.
The Excessive Court docket decide mentioned girls who use Mr Albon as a sperm donor are principally single girls or in same-sex relationships, including it appeared {that a} excessive proportion of ladies within the UK who used his companies are “weak in a method or one other”.
Mr Albon advised the courtroom that he fees £100 to ship his sperm by put up, after placing his semen right into a syringe and packaging it with frozen tomato puree, to maintain it at an appropriate temperature, earlier than sending the parcel.
Mr Justice Poole mentioned Mr Albon makes use of light-hearted phrases whereas promoting his companies on-line, together with referring to his semen as “Joe’s Juice” or “child batter”. The kids within the two circumstances had been conceived by means of sexual activity, described as “pure insemination”, the courtroom was advised.
The decide mentioned: “The proof earlier than the courtroom reveals that Mr Albon may have intercourse with, or present his sperm for synthetic insemination, to simply about anybody who asks.”
Mr Justice Poole later mentioned that Mr Albon’s motives for appearing as a donor had been questioned through the proceedings, including: “Is he motivated by the need to have intercourse with many various girls? Is he compelled to breed?
“Does he take pleasure in gratification from figuring out that there are scores of his youngsters on the earth? Is he merely attention-seeking Does he wish to safe his immigration standing? It’s troublesome to look into the thoughts of Mr Albon as a result of he isn’t self-reflective.”
The decide later mentioned that the dangers of utilizing the prolific unregulated sperm donor are apparent, together with the chance of Mr Albon looking for parental duty or different courtroom orders, in addition to unknown potential well being points.
Mr Justice Poole mentioned that Mr Albon is “ambiguous” about his future involvement when he’s first contacted by the potential moms, giving him the power to resolve at a later date whether or not or to not grow to be concerned.
“When he wants a roof over his head he has crept into the lives of ladies to his benefit,” the decide mentioned, including: “He makes use of others’ vulnerability and naivety to go well with his personal ends.” The decide discovered that Mr Albon had tried to regulate 5 of the six girls in England and Wales recognized to have carried his organic youngsters, together with utilizing litigation as a method of management.
Mr Justice Poole dominated: “He lacks empathy and solely has superficial relationships with others…he’s dismissive of those that don’t agree with him or who query his behaviour and beliefs. He seeks to regulate others to show that he’s proper, to safe recognition, to get his personal method, and to serve his personal ends.”
The decide mentioned that CB could be adopted, discovering that putting CB with Mr Albon wouldn’t be in her greatest pursuits and that there was a “substantial threat” she could be solid apart. He mentioned: “His solely buddies seem like fellow unregulated sperm donors. That’s his world.”
Mr Justice Poole additionally discovered that whereas Mr Albon could be declared as CA’s father on a re-registered beginning certificates, he refused the bid to grant the donor parental duty or elevated contact. “I’ve no confidence that Mr Albon would decide to contact and discover it possible that he would transfer on to a different household when it suited him, as he has achieved beforehand,” the decide mentioned.
Mr Albon will likely be allowed to ship a letter or card every year to CA, to be handed on as soon as CA’s mom thinks it’s applicable. Mr Justice Poole additionally ordered {that a} copy of his judgment needs to be despatched to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the regulator for fertility clinics, and the Dwelling Workplace.
